Devin Vassell starting at power forward ignores the two better answers on the Spurs’ roster

The Spurs haven't had a chance to use the starting lineup Mitch Johnson told us about before the preseason game against Atlanta yet, due to managing De'Aaron Fox's "soreness" and "tightness," but when they do, they'll be fielding one of the smallest opening units in the NBA. That's a pretty curious decision for a team that went out and added so much size in the offseason.

San Antonio was supposed to start Fox, Stephon Castle, Dylan Harper, Devin Vassell, and Victor Wembanyama. Vassell is only listed at 6'5", making 6'6" Castle the tallest player in the lineup outside of the towering Frenchman.

The league has gotten smaller, with maybe only a third of teams sending out "big" power forwards. But the Spurs may be overcommitting to the small-ball schtick. Unless... Tobias Harris will be claiming that position once he's fully recovered from his left calf strain, and that's exactly what I'm hoping for.

The Spurs don't need to make life more difficult for themselves

The Silver and Black rebounded fairly well as a team overall last season, but when they faced bigger lineups, they struggled in that area. Defensive and offensive rebounds were harder to come by, and sometimes a little extra energy was all it took for the opponent to earn second and third opportunities in a possession. That's not really a height problem. It's a body problem.

Harris only averaged 5.1 rebounds per game during the regular season, but that number rose to 7.2 in the playoffs. As a 15-year veteran, it's smart for Tobias to pace himself. He doesn't have to hit the glass with everything he has, but the 226-pound forward is also savvy enough to box out so one of his teammates can get the board.

Do I think that the ex-Piston would have stopped second-year center Khaman Maluach from grabbing 15 rebounds in 23 minutes two nights ago with Mark Williams and Miles Bridges sidelined? Not completely, but he probably could have helped. Harris' wide frame is tougher to get around, and proper positioning goes a long way in the NBA.

OKC is the worst possible test case

It's still preseason, so nobody is game-planning, and now is the time to try new things. But the opener is eight days away, and the opponent is an Oklahoma City team that plays big. Tobi might not be ready to go by then, and if he isn't, are we going to send Vassell or Castle out there to defend Chet Holmgren?

The Thunder's defensive anchor may have had a rough series in the Western Conference Finals, but he's not a bad player. He'll have something to prove, and if the Spurs are going to put someone that small on him, it could be a matchup nightmare of their own creation. Wemby can erase a lot of mistakes, but he can't box out two people at once.

I'm not saying the small lineup can't work, but opening night is the wrong place to find out, especially when last year's starting power forward is right there. Start 6'7" Champagnie if you're going to run the three-guard unit to open games when 6'8" Harris isn't healthy. Juju grabbed 5.8 boards a night last season. It just makes sense.

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